Men may not want to pin their hopes on acupuncture as a treatment for impotence or erectile dysfunction, a further review of the evidence suggests.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of stimulating specific points on the body through the insertion of pins specialized sometimes lead electric charges weak. Traditionally, acupuncture has been used to restore and maintain body functions.

Several studies have reported “Acupuncture increases nitric oxide, which has been linked to the ability to maintain erections, Dr. Myeong Soo Lee, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine in Daejeon, told Reuters Health in the mail address.

However, to date, published studies that evaluated acupuncture as a treatment for erectile dysfunction offer “no convincing evidence” that acupuncture is beneficial for this condition, Lee and colleagues report in the journal BJU International.

Following evaluation of 80 research studies, Lee team found that only 2 randomized controlled trials – that is, studies that compared a treatment group with the group that received no treatment or underwent a sham. This trial design is the gold standard for research studies. (The acupuncture treatment was applied throughout the body, not the penis itself.)

One of the two trials reported benefits, while the other does not, the authors note.

Lee also identified a group of 2 trials, a total of 45 men who did not include a group of men who received no treatment or underwent a sham.

The two trials suggested a benefit of acupuncture in men with erectile dysfunction, but researchers warn that the study design leaves open to bias and often suggest false-positive results.

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